Pins for electrical connectors

ABSTRACT

A pin for an electrical connector is of hollow form and contains a leaf spring whose ends project from the pin at axially spaced locations to locate the pin axially in an associated connector body. One of the spring ends can be depressed to allow the pin to enter the body.

United States Patent Young [451 July 18, 1972 PINS FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS References Cited [72] Inventor: Donald Allan Young, Sutton Coldfield, En- UNITED STATES PATENTS gland 3,085,222 4/1963 Watts ..339/217 [73] Assignee: Joseph Lucas (Industries) Limited, Bir- 2,748,367 5/1956 Schelke et al. ....339/252 P mingham, England 2,689,337 9/1954 Burtt at al ....339/217 s [22] Filed: Jam 6 1971 3,513,438 5/1970 l-lenschen et a]. ....339/217 S 2,787,771 4/1957 Francis ..339/91 21 App]. N0.: 104,235

Primary Examiner-Marvin A. Champion [30] Foreign Application Priorit D t Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer Jan. 10, 1970 Great Britain ..1,321/70 Aimmekfldman Stem 52 us. Cl ..339/217 s, 339/252 P, 339/255 R, [57] ABSTRACT 339/262 R A pin for an electrical connector is of hollow form and con- [511 n 9/08 tains a leaf spring whose ends project from the pin at axially [5 8] Field of Search g spaced locations to locate the pin axially in an associated connector body. One of the spring ends can be depressed to allow the pin to enter the body.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures afientd July 18, 1972 FIG. 1

ATTORNEYS PINS FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS This invention relates to pins for electrical connectors.

A pin in accordance with the invention is of hollow form and contains a leaf spring having one end projecting through an opening in the wall of the pin, the leaf spring being resiliently deformable to allow displacement of said one end thereof to a position in which it lies within the pin and being arranged to act as a pawl to fasten the pin in a passage through a connector body.

In the accompanying drawing FIG. 1, is a section through an example of a pin in accordance with the invention and FIG. 2 is a section on line A-A in FIG. 1.

The pin shown in formed from a sheet metal blank which is deformed into a hollow cylindrical form with a terminal portion at one end. The pin contains a leaf spring 11, the free form of which is shown in FIG. 1 in broken lines. This leaf spring 11 is of V-shaped configuration with one limb longer than the other and terminating in an outwardly projecting tab 12. The shorter limb has a free end portion 13 which is out wardly inclined with respect to the proximal portion of the limb.

The tab 12 projects through a slot 14 in the wall of the pin and acts, in use, as a stop to limit the insertion of the pin into a passage in the body 16 of a connector. The portion 13 projects through an opening 15 in the wall of the pin. The limbs of the spring 11 lie in spaced parallel relation along the pin.

When the pin is inserted into the passage in the body 16 during assembly of the connector, the end portion 13 is displaced by resilient deformation of the spring 11 to a position within the pin. When the end portion 13 emerges from the passage it resumes the position shown so that the end portion 13 acts as a pawl to prevent reverse movement of the pin.

I claim:

1. A pin for an electrical connector, the pin being of hollow form and having an opening in its wall intermediate its ends and a slot in its wall at a position spaced from said opening, in combination with a leaf spring of generally V-shaped configuration contained within the pin and having at one end an outwardly inclined portion projecting through said opening, the leaf spring resiliently deformable to allow displacement of said one end to a position in which said inclined portion lies within the pin and acts as a pawl to fasten the pin in a passage through a connector body, said leaf spring having at its opposite end a projection extending through said slot in the body and arranged to act as a stop to limit insertion of the pin into a passage through a connector body whereby, in use, said spring acts to prevent movement of the pin relative to a connector body in both axial directions. 

1. A pin for an electrical connector, the pin being of hollow form and having an opening in its wall intermediate its ends and a slot in its wall at a position spaced from said opening, in combination with a leaf spring of generally V-shaped configuration contained within the pin and having at one end an outwardly inclined portion projecting through said opening, the leaf spring resiliently deformable to allow displacement of said one end to a position in which said inclined portion lies within the pin and acts as a pawl to fasten the pin in a passage through a connector body, said leaf spring having at its opposite end a projection extending through said slot in the body and arranged to act as a stop to limit insertion of the pin into a passage through a connector body whereby, in use, said spring acts to prevent movement of the pin relative to a connector body in both axial directions. 